Will Apple’s iWatch Successfully Make Wearables Mainstream?

Apple fans and investors, plus tech enthusiasts, may need to wait a little bit longer to get their hands on Apple’s rumored iWatch and find out if the product will be as resounding a success and as mainstream a product as they’d like it to be. According to trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, the iWatch may launch later than initially thought. In a note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that the difficulty of manufacturing the iWatch is a factor in the delay of its launch until 2015:

“We reiterate our view that iWatch, as compared to existing products, and as Apple’s (US) first attempt at a wearable device, represents a much higher level of difficulty for the company as regards component and system design, manufacturing and integration between hardware and software. While we are positive on iWatch and believe that the advantages of the design and business model behind it are difficult to copy, we think, given the aforementioned challenges, that the launch could be postponed to 2015.”

In July, Kuo predicted that mass production would begin in November, with the iWatch’s small size, flexible AMOLED screen, and sapphire cover all contributing to the complexity of the device’s production. As MacRumors points out, the language of Kuo’s report suggests that the analyst is still somewhat uncertain about when the iWatch will ship. His latest prediction seems to contradict the rumors that have widely suggested an October launch for the wearable device, but it is possible that Apple could introduce the iWatch months before it’s actually available to ship to consumers. Apple has made similar choices with past products, unveiling both the original iPhone and the Mac Pro six months before they shipped.